What Is Will Power?

Did you know that, among the handful of programs I continually have running, there is always a dictionary program active on my laptop Oh, sure, there are tons of great web sites out there for looking up words -- and I do use those regularly. But, I just like my handy-dandy dictionary program. It's instant (no waiting for pages to load, etc.), it's ad-free, and it and has a great? -- no, scratch that, a tantalizing! -- thesaurus as well.

Anyway, here's what my trusty friend, the American Heritage Dictionary, has to say about the phrase "will power":

The strength of will to carry out one's decisions, wishes, or plans.

Okay, so how does this apply to raw foods Well, over in our comment-discussion last week on "Phantom Fat," the subject arose. I thought it was important enough to bring up and formalize here in a post.

Will power IS just that, a certain strength of will. And sometimes it does take will power to keep you on the straight and narrow, so to speak. But, a point I like to make is that it also takes no will power at all, in a manner of thinking. I attempted to articulate a lot of this about six months back in this post. So, if you're wondering my thoughts on the matter of will power, definitely check that post out.

In short, though... ask yourself, "What IS will power " I think we can expand that definition, above, a little bit by asking, "Why does it require strength "? For example, in the context of a cooked food craving (as is the case in the post linked to in the previous paragrah), what's going on?

Well... your "will" is your realization on some level that you want to be healthy. Yet, there is still some part of you that wants [fill in the blank with something you know is unhealthy]. So, it takes "strength" or "resolve" to overpower that pesky desire.

For many, the desire to stray is just too overpowering, though. So, relying on that strength or resolve, no matter how bad some part of you wants to be healthy, may be too much to ask. So, what do you do ?? That's tough, right?

Well, the only thing you can do, really, is to rid yourself of the unhealthy, underlying desire. Or, at a minimum, work on reducing that desire to a manageable level. I know, I know... easier said than done. But, trust me, it's possible. I'm living proof!? Again, this post (same as the one I linked to above), offers a roughed-out plan for doing so (or at least sketches out some of the basic psychology necessary for you to do so).

I won't lie to you: It's kind of a "leap of faith" system. Step one is simply to persevere. That may sound cheesy to some, but it's still a critical step because it's the one in which you're making an active decision about your life and taking action on it. So, step one is huge! Step two is the relevatory "aha!" moment when your volition manifests itself via a kind of deeper understanding. From then on, you won't likely give in to things like cravings any longer, as their power over your will have waned significantly.

How long does it take to get from step one to step two ? LOL... good question! The answer is: It's instantaneous.? You see, step two is a switch that just gets flipped at some point. My opinion, of course. What you're really asking is:? How long does it take to flip the switch ? Aha... now that's where it differs from person to person. For some, it takes years. For rare others (certainly not me), a single moment. For most, it's just that normal period of transition (a few months, a year, etc.).

Coming up this week on Pure Jeevan!

Tuesday:? Wendi's Lyme Update: We're heading out of town Monday morning to see a Lyme specialist. Should be quite interesting!

Wednesday:? Live Blood Analysis. What is it? How can you put it to work for you? A video of Jim & Wendi's experiences!

Thursday:? Dealing with the COLD! Winter transition discussion.

Friday:? Taking action! What's the difference between "wanting" to do something and actually *deciding* to DO it?

Original Comments

Below, we have included the original comments from this blog post. Additional comments may be made via Facebook, below.

On October 19, 2009, TerriDactyl wrote:

Jim, Wendi and everyone - Hi.

I'm new to this. I'm more or less where Wendi was at the beginning, 233 lbs. (weighed in October 1st) moving to raw vegan from cooked vegan. I'm on day 8! Woohoo!

This article deals with a question I have, Is it okay to binge on raw food? Binging is not good, I know. But it's something I can't keep myself from doing just yet. It's not necessarily a craving for something specific, but just a constant need to keep eating something. It's about every 3 days, and I usually drink a green juice, then eat a salad, . . . pretty soon, I'm hitting the nuts and just nibbling on anything. These last 8 days, my binges have kept with raw food, but I still feel guilty. I'm proud of myself for having the perseverence to stick with raw, but I still feel so out of control and worry that my will power won't sustain me.

On October 19, 2009, fatima lachporia wrote:

raw chocolate in some form almost daily.
plan to go on a non- sweet fast when this apartment is sweet free.Yes I will need will power .
love peace and joy.
fatima

On October 19, 2009, Auntie Patricia wrote:

good article, jim. terri, feelings of deprivation are not our friends. we do need to satisfy the monster inside who says, 'FEED ME!" fatima, i wish you a successful, fun fast.

we are fortunate that there are so many talented raw chefs making delicious and satisfying recipes to satisfy nearly any craving.

i have made crepes, cakes, pies, pizza, ice cream, kale chips, croutons, crackers, cheeses, etc from raw ingredients that outperform their cooked counterparts. i took several raw dish samples to a friend who owns an upscale restaurant and he LOVED EVERY SAMPLE i took him. once people taste raw, done well, they have a hard time going back to dishes that are made with dead foods.

i am a detective. when i have a craving, i ask myself what i REALLY want about 'that' food. it surely isn't the flour or sugar or salt or fat.... it IS the flavor or texture... and i can usually satisfy the urge with something raw.

i'd be happy to help people brainstorm if they want. it's empowering to take charge of your health & moods & foods... fun too!

On October 20, 2009, Joanna_Steven wrote:

I was wondering about the live blood analysis! I read it was a hoax, but a part of me doesn't believe it. I look forward to your post! Hugs to Wendi for me! But not so strong she'll feel pain... Just right :)

hi, sweetie. the secret is to listen inside to what it is that you REALLY want from the food you are craving. then find a safe way to satisfy that craving.

raw pizza... i love the garlic, the herbs, the tomato, the crust... i use a sprouted, dehydrated buckwheat circle for a crust and top it with a sauce made of fresh AND dried tomatoes, garlic, oregano and basil... YUM !

mac & cheese... that's not one of my cravings because i didn't have it much as a child, but i did do in a batch of sunflower seed cheese the other night on teff crackers. the cheese was just sunflower seeds, ground up with water that sat out on my counter for a few days, then i added dill and celtic salt and it sat in the frig for a week or so longer... it was tart and tasty... just like cheese.

burrito? i make a dehydrated tortilla of cilentro, flax, carrot, garlic, etc... then i put avocado and GREENS in it... YUM again! :)

i don't miss breakfast cereals a bit because i haven't eaten them for years. i just eat as much fruit in the morning as i want, to satisfy my sweet tooth and to wash down what has been squeezed out of my cells overnight. so you might want to ask yourself what you miss in granola... is it the 'gran' or the 'ola'? :) maybe you like the oats and the milk? you can still eat some oats and have coconut milk or almond milk on them. if it's raisins, add raisins... if it's nuts, add nuts.

above all, have fun with your food. i know your mama said "don't play with your food", but auntie patricia says "food should be FUN... AND nourishing AND supportive of your radiant health." and raw food is.

i wish you the best of health!

On November 16, 2009, salud wrote:

Auntie Patricia,
I REALLY appreciate your ideas and the time you took to send some radiance my way. I would love to find a warm, caring setting to spend a few days away from old temptations. Making it through the beginning of my journey to optimum health with a buddy would be ideal. I'm having difficulty doing it on my own. Let me know if you have any ideas or volunteers. I'm totally willing to help out in any way in exchange for this much-needed jumpstart.
Salud

On November 16, 2009, Auntie Patricia wrote:

salud, where are you geographically? i am in oregon. i suspect there are people here from all over. your plan sounds like a good idea. it's easy for me because i live alone and don't have other appetites and i have only 'raw' things in my house. perhaps there is an easy way for you to get started in a strong, positive way. let's brainstorm.